Survey Results

Page: Biggest Concerns for SBOs

1. As a school business official, what are the THREE biggest concerns you face in your job?
	answered question		867
	skipped question		0
		Response Percent	Response Count
Communicating the budget process to stake holders		38.1%	330
Condition of the district buildings		27.1%	235
Dealing with the district’s school board		21.9%	190
Ensuring that teachers and staff are “highly qualified”		3.8%	33
Financial implications of NCLB		16.1%	140
Helping teachers and principals understand how to better allocate resources		26.3%	228
Increasing revenue for the district		46.9%	407
Making cuts in our budget		43.0%	373
Meeting Adequate Yearly Progress		5.3%	46
Rising healthcare costs		57.6%	499
Other (please specify)		9.9%	86

Page: District Resources

2. What is your total district enrollment?
	answered question	749
	skipped question	118
		Response Count
		749

3. Excluding expenses for school construction, debt service, and capital outlay, what were your total expenditures for the most current fiscal year for which you have data? (If you do not have the exact figure, your best estimate is sufficient.)
	answered question	730
	skipped question	137
		Response Count
		730

Page: Health Insurance Costs

4. How many staff/faculty (current or retired) receive health insurance through the district? (If you do not have the exact figure, your best estimate is sufficient.)
	answered question	634
	skipped question	233
		Response Count
		634

5. What were your total expenditures on health care and related services (such as vision, prescription drug, dental, etc.) for the most current fiscal year for which you have data? (If you do not have the exact figure, your best estimate is sufficient.)
	answered question	606
	skipped question	261
		Response Count
		606

6. Do your district expenditures for health care and related services include the cost of health care for retirees?
	answered question		638
	skipped question		229
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		43.1%	275
No		51.3%	327
Other (please specify)		5.6%	36

Page: District Revenues

7. Consider this statement: The cost of providing health care to district employees is rising faster than my district’s revenues.
	answered question		637
	skipped question		230
		Response Percent	Response Count
Strongly agree		65.3%	416
Agree		29.4%	187
Disagree		4.1%	26
Strongly disagree		1.3%	8

8. In the last year, did district revenues increase, decrease, or remain the same?
	answered question		639
	skipped question		228
		Response Percent	Response Count
Increased		66.0%	422
Decreased		14.2%	91
Remained the same		19.7%	126

Page: Change in Revenues

9. By what percentage did district revenues change?
	answered question		496
	skipped question		371
		Response Percent	Response Count
1		10.5%	52
2		16.1%	80
3		21.2%	105
4		14.7%	73
5		9.5%	47
6		5.4%	27
7		4.2%	21
8		4.8%	24
9		2.4%	12
10		6.0%	30
11		1.4%	7
12		0.4%	2
13		0.2%	1
14		0.0%	0
15		0.8%	4
16		0.6%	3
17		0.2%	1
18		0.4%	2
19		0.2%	1
20		0.2%	1
20+		0.6%	3

Page: Premium Costs

10. During the most recent renewal of your district’s health insurance plan, did district health insurance premium costs increase, decrease, or remain the same?
	answered question		632
	skipped question		235
		Response Percent	Response Count
Increased		91.3%	577
Decreased		3.0%	19
Remained the same		5.7%	36

Page: Change in Premium Costs

11. By what percentage did health insurance premium costs change?
	answered question		583
	skipped question		284
		Response Percent	Response Count
1		0.3%	2
2		2.6%	15
3		2.7%	16
4		2.9%	17
5		5.0%	29
6		4.5%	26
7		3.6%	21
8		7.2%	42
9		7.7%	45
10		15.1%	88
11		5.1%	30
12		11.8%	69
13		5.0%	29
14		4.3%	25
15		7.0%	41
16		2.2%	13
17		2.2%	13
18		4.3%	25
19		0.3%	2
20		1.7%	10
20+		4.3%	25

Page: Union Negotiations

12. To what extent is health insurance an issue in your district’s contract negotiations with its employees?
	answered question		625
	skipped question		242
		Response Percent	Response Count
To a great extent		71.2%	445
Somewhat		16.6%	104
A little		4.2%	26
Not at all		8.0%	50

13. How frequently are you involved in union negotiations in your district?
	answered question		627
	skipped question		240
		Response Percent	Response Count
Always (I am responsible for handling the negotiations)		25.4%	159
Very frequently		43.1%	270
Occasionally		12.9%	81
Rarely		2.7%	17
Very Rarely		2.6%	16
Never		13.4%	84

Page: The Effect on the District

14. During the most recent renewal of your district’s health insurance plan, did you make adjustments to the offered benefits in order to reduce costs (e.g. higher co-pay or deductible, increased employee contribution, etc.)?
	answered question		609
	skipped question		258
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		58.9%	359
No		41.1%	250

15. Consider this statement: The rising cost of health care has negatively affected the ability of my district to provide academic services to students.
	answered question		608
	skipped question		259
		Response Percent	Response Count
Strongly agree		24.5%	149
Agree		43.4%	264
Disagree		28.9%	176
Strongly disagree		3.1%	19

16. Which, if any, areas of your budget have been reduced to accommodate the rising cost of health care? (please check all that apply)
	answered question		593
	skipped question		274
		Response Percent	Response Count
Textbook purchases		21.9%	130
Professional development for teachers		31.4%	186
Student field trips		23.9%	142
Academic after school programs		13.8%	82
Athletics		16.7%	99
The arts		12.1%	72
Teaching positions		38.4%	228
School facility maintenance		43.5%	258
Tutors		3.5%	21
Student transportation		12.5%	74
Technology		34.2%	203
Food service		2.9%	17
Risk management/safety		6.6%	39
Paraprofessionals		27.3%	162
Other		4.6%	27
No areas have been reduced due to health care costs		27.7%	164
Other (please specify)		10.3%	61

Page: Possible Solutions

17. What solutions to controlling the cost of health insurance do you (personally) feel are promising? (please check all that apply)
	answered question		603
	skipped question		264
		Response Percent	Response Count
District wellness plans		53.2%	321
Health Savings Accounts		40.0%	241
Consumer Driven Health Plans		24.2%	146
Cost shifting to employees (higher deductibles, co-pay, etc.)		69.7%	420
Employee/management insurance committees		26.0%	157
Disease management		19.2%	116
Educating employees about benefits		51.2%	309
Using a cost reduction specialist		9.8%	59
Bidding of services		28.9%	174
Offer high-deductible health coverage		29.9%	180
Offer only state-wide provided health benefits with no local supplements		9.1%	55
Join a consortium of school districts to benefit from economies of scale		34.3%	207
Offer a set employer contribution toward employee insurance coverage allowing the employee to decide how to apply the amount		29.7%	179
Reducing health insurance coverage		13.8%	83
Reducing other employee benefits		5.1%	31
Moving to a managed care product		10.9%	66
Cafeteria plans		29.0%	175
Consider moving to a self-insurance plan		18.2%	110
Provide employee incentives not to participate in health coverage		21.2%	128
Other (please specify)		8.6%	52

18. What solutions to controlling the cost of health insurance do you feel would be given serious consideration in your district’s contract negotiations with its employees? (please check all that apply)
	answered question		582
	skipped question		285
		Response Percent	Response Count
District wellness plans		45.0%	262
Health Savings Accounts		34.7%	202
Consumer Driven Health Plans		15.3%	89
Cost shifting to employees (higher deductibles, co-pay, etc.)		47.6%	277
Employee/management insurance committees		22.9%	133
Disease management		12.5%	73
Educating employees about benefits		43.8%	255
Using a cost reduction specialist		8.4%	49
Bidding of services		21.1%	123
Offer high-deductible health coverage		22.2%	129
Offer only state-wide provided health benefits with no local supplements		5.0%	29
Join a consortium of school districts to benefit from economies of scale		22.5%	131
Offer a set employer contribution toward employee insurance coverage allowing the employee to decide how to apply the amount		13.2%	77
Reducing health insurance coverage		12.9%	75
Reducing other employee benefits		8.1%	47
Moving to a managed care product		5.8%	34
Cafeteria plans		24.4%	142
Consider moving to a self-insurance plan		10.8%	63
Provide employee incentives not to participate in health coverage		18.6%	108
Other (please specify)		8.1%	47

19. Which ASBO International offerings are valuable in helping you continue to help bring health insurance costs under control? (please check all that apply)
	answered question		565
	skipped question		302
		Response Percent	Response Count
Create a national dialog on the impact health insurance costs have on school budgets (press releases, grass-roots advocacy using our online Legislative Action Center)		47.4%	268
Best practices from ASBO members in School Business Affairs and/or online		68.5%	387
Professional development (workshops, audio conferences, webinars) of best practices from MEMBERS		45.5%	257
Professional development (workshops, audio conferences, webinars) of possible solutions from VENDORS		27.4%	155
A web page dedicated to information concerning health care costs (e.g. glossary of terms, links to provider quality and efficiency surveys, cost reduction trends, etc.)		51.3%	290
Data and talking points for use in discussions with district and community leaders about health insurance costs		52.2%	295
Other (please specify)		3.0%	17

Page: Demographics

20. Is your school/district public or private?
	answered question		606
	skipped question		261
		Response Percent	Response Count
Public		98.5%	597
Private		1.2%	7
n/a		0.3%	2

21. What state are you from?
	answered question		596
	skipped question		271
		Response Percent	Response Count
Alabama		0.2%	1
Alaska		1.2%	7
Arizona		2.5%	15
Arkansas		0.2%	1
California		1.3%	8
Colorado		2.5%	15
Connecticut		2.0%	12
Delaware		0.5%	3
District of Columbia		0.2%	1
Florida		1.2%	7
Georgia		0.3%	2
Hawaii		0.0%	0
Idaho		1.0%	6
Illinois		6.4%	38
Indiana		2.9%	17
Iowa		3.2%	19
Kansas		1.3%	8
Kentucky		0.5%	3
Louisiana		0.3%	2
Maine		0.7%	4
Maryland		1.5%	9
Massachusetts		3.4%	20
Michigan		5.7%	34
Minnesota		4.4%	26
Mississippi		0.2%	1
Missouri		2.7%	16
Montana		1.3%	8
Nebraska		1.7%	10
Nevada		0.3%	2
New Hampshire		1.0%	6
New Jersey		8.4%	50
New Mexico		0.2%	1
New York		9.6%	57
North Carolina		0.3%	2
North Dakota		0.2%	1
Ohio		3.7%	22
Oklahoma		1.2%	7
Oregon		2.7%	16
Pennsylvania		6.5%	39
Rhode Island		0.7%	4
South Carolina		0.5%	3
South Dakota		0.7%	4
Tennessee		0.8%	5
Texas		3.0%	18
Utah		1.0%	6
Vermont		0.3%	2
Virginia		2.5%	15
Washington		2.2%	13
West Virginia		0.0%	0
Wisconsin		4.5%	27
Wyoming		0.5%	3

Page: Results and Additional Comments

22. The results of this survey will be made available on the ASBO International Website (www.asbointl.org) in late July, but if you would like notification and a link to the results when they are available, please enter your email address below:
	answered question	356
	skipped question	511
		Response Count
		356

23. We welcome any additional comments you have about this survey or more generally about the issue of controlling the cost of health care in school districts. If you are willing to be contacted by ASBO International concerning this issue, please also include your name and a phone or email address at which you can be reached.
	answered question	69
	skipped question	798
		Response Count
		69